


Fair Trade

by robinwritesallthethings



Series: Jeffrey Dean Morgan Characters [30]
Category: Solace (2015)
Genre: Age Difference, Breast Fucking, F/M, Hair Pulling, Language, Oral Sex, Romance, Rough Sex, Self-Insert, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:49:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23280490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinwritesallthethings/pseuds/robinwritesallthethings
Summary: Joe thinks he’s too old for Robin, but she doesn’t agree.
Relationships: Joe Merriwether/Original Female Character(s), Joe Merriwether/Robin Ballard (robinwritesallthethings)
Series: Jeffrey Dean Morgan Characters [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1933015
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Fair Trade

**Joe**

I sigh, running my hand over my beard and getting up from my desk. I need a minute to think, so I decide to head to the new coffee cart in the lobby. Normally I wouldn’t go in for the fancy stuff, but it’s as decent an excuse as any. 

Luckily, it’s not busy when I get there. I smile at the woman behind the counter. She’s very pretty. Wavy chin-length light brown hair, big hazel eyes, full pink lips, beautiful skin. She’s partially hidden behind the cart and wearing an apron over her t-shirt, but it’s still easy to see that she’s short and curvy. 

Far too young for me, though. She can’t be over 25. 

Before I even open my mouth, she’s set a cup and a muffin in front of me. I look at her curiously. “I didn’t order this,” I point out unnecessarily. 

She smiles brilliantly. “I know. What would you like to order?” 

I glance at the menu, wondering what she’s up to. It’s simpler than I thought it would be, and making my choice is easy. “Large black coffee and a blueberry sour cream muffin, please.” 

She grins and nods at what she already put down. “Knew you were a black and blue kind of guy. No fussing with your caffeine. Baked goods just a tiny bit rich and sweet, but with some edge.” 

I fish my wallet out of my back pocket. “What do I owe you?” 

“On the house, G-Man.”

She winks at me as I take a bite of the muffin and my eyes widen. “Wow. That is not a crappy bakery muffin,” I observe. 

“Nope. I bake them fresh every morning.” 

Damn. She’s cute, sweet, and she can bake. I’d ask her out right now if I wasn’t almost twice her age. 

I’m charming, and I have a heck of a lot of swagger, but nothing can change the fact that if I’d been a slightly less responsible teenager, I could be her father. 

**Robin**

The man continues looking at me as he eats his muffin and drinks his coffee, but he doesn’t say anything else. I saw him check me out when he first arrived at the cart. Normally, I’d peg him as the type to flirt and confidently ask me on a date, but for whatever reason, he’s holding back. 

His attention is beyond flattering. You don’t see a man as handsome as him very often. Tall, lean, brown hair streaked through with gray and silver, salt and pepper beard, dreamy hazel eyes. 

And I saw the way he walked when he came down the stairs. He’s got swagger in those hips. He’s probably dynamite in the sack. 

I bet he’s dirty too. And I assume he has handcuffs. 

“Sorry,” he finally apologizes, seeming uncertain. It’s odd. It just doesn’t fit well on him. “I probably shouldn’t hog your space.” 

“I don’t mind you hanging around,” I reply nonchalantly. “You’re easy on the eyes.” 

He blinks and smirks just a little. “That’s kind of you to say.” 

“Oh, come on,” I tease. “You don’t strike me as the humble type. You know how hot you are.” 

“Maybe I do,” he admits. 

“So…” I venture. “Why aren’t you flirting with me? I mean, I try not to toot my own horn, but I look massively cute standing behind this thing.” 

He chuckles. “You’re not wrong about that, sweetheart. As for flirting, well, normally you’re right, I would, but, um… I’m a little old for you.” 

Ah, so that’s it. How nice. Dirty, but not creepy dirty. 

“Oh, I don’t know about that. My preferences might surprise you.” 

He raises his eyebrows as he finishes his coffee. 

“Another for the road?” I suggest, pulling back for now.

I can sense that he’ll take a while to crack on this particular issue. 

“Only if you let me pay for this one,” he stipulates. 

“If you insist,” I wink, refilling his cup and grabbing him another muffin. “I’m Robin, by the way. Robin Ballard.” 

He sets down the muffin and holds his hand out for me to shake. He’s warm, and his fingers are just a little rough. I would love to have them all over me. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Robin Ballard. I’m Joe Merriwether.” 

Every day for the next month, Joe stops by the cart as soon as he arrives at work and right before he leaves. He always makes sure to appear when I’m not busy so we can chat. Sometimes he also stops by at lunch and we grab something together. 

Our conversations are always short, but meaningful. He asks me how I became a baker and tells me how he became an FBI agent. We talk about hobbies, books, movies, music, and food. 

It turns out that we actually have a lot in common. I can tell that Joe gets more and more conflicted with every conversation we have, despite the fact that we avoid big topics like family, significant others, and children. 

I think all he needs is a little push. 

So, on Friday, I make sure that Trent, who’s been a regular since the day I set up here, stops by right when Joe does. He’s been trying to get me to sleep with him, but he’s got a distinctly skeevy vibe, so I’ve brushed him off every time. 

Of course, Joe doesn’t know that, and Trent is the type who will never stop trying. He’s around my age and totally cocky, and I just know that he’s going to get right under Joe’s skin. 

Joe is walking towards me and smiling when Trent comes striding up. He reaches me first and Joe crosses his arms as he settles in to wait, worrying his lower lip sexily. 

I’ve got him right where I want him. 

**Joe**

I’m irritated when Trent makes it to the cart before me. He’s a complete ass who thinks he’s hot stuff because he ended up working counterterrorism. He’s bottom of the barrel, though. All he does is run names through a damn computer all day. 

“Hey, baby!” he greets Robin. I grimace. He shouldn’t be calling her that. They’re not together. He doesn’t have any right. “You gonna let me turn that frown upside down this weekend?” 

I make a face. What kind of pick-up line is that? She’s not even fucking frowning. 

I’m shocked when she smiles and replies, “Well, Trent, what did you have in mind?” 

She cannot possibly be into this guy. She’s smart and funny and perceptive, and he’s a huge jerk. 

“I knew you’d come around eventually, baby,” Trent drawls. “How about a hot tub and some champagne, huh?” 

I roll my eyes. What a cliché. 

“Just remember that Trent can’t be tied down, baby,” he continues. “All the ladies want this. You’re lucky to get me for a night. And I don’t buy the cow when I can get the milk for free, you know? I knew you were a slut just by looking at you.” 

I am not a man who is good at keeping his cool, but I’ve never gone from calm to angry this fast before. 

“That’s enough!” I explode, grabbing Trent by the back of the collar and spinning him around so I can get in his face. “You do not fucking talk to her like that!” I stab my finger into his chest to make sure he gets the point. “You will treat her with some goddamn respect! Have I fucking made myself clear?” 

Trent nods hurriedly. I’m taller than him, though not bigger overall, but he’s a fucking kiss-ass when it comes to authority, so being older works in my favor for once. “Now get the fuck out of here!” 

Trent scurries away. I put one hand on my hip, running the other through my hair as I try to regain my composure. 

I glance over at Robin. She’s leaning against the counter with her chin in her hand. 

I crinkle my eyes at her as she says, “Now that was sexy.” 

I bite my lower lip and smile. “You baited me.” 

“Maybe,” she admits. 

“Why?” 

“Because I want you, Joe. And I get why you’re hung up on the age thing. It’s actually kind of sweet that you are. But…” 

She comes around the cart and rests a finger on the top button I have done, waiting. 

Finally, I lick my lips and repeat, “But?” 

She beams at me. “But I like that you’re older, Joe. It turns me on. You’re experienced and you know what you want. Plus you’ve got this whole half-silver fox thing going on.”

She runs a finger across my jaw and I can’t help shivering. It never occurred to me that our age difference would actually be attractive to her. 

“What do you want, Robin?” I ask softly.

Hearing her flirt with Trent made my desire for her flare, and knowing that she did it just to get my attention is making it flare even more. I’m getting hard already, even though she’s barely touching me. 

“Well, Joe,” she purrs. “I’d like you to take me back to your place and bang my brains out.” 

No matter what I think about her age, I’m not strong enough to resist that. 

**Robin**

Joe pulls me into his bedroom, kissing me feverishly while my hands run over his crotch. “You’re so hard, Joe,” I moan as I unbuckle his belt.

I toss it aside and push him down on the bed, straddling him as I strip off my t-shirt, then push my tits into his face and grind against him. 

“Fucking hell, Robin,” Joe growls.

He squeezes my breasts together and buries his face in them. His beard is soft and prickly against my skin and I break out in goosebumps. When he peels my bra cup down and sucks my nipple into his mouth eagerly, I cry out. 

“Do that again, Robin,” Joe demands, popping the clasp on my bra and dragging it down my arms with his long, agile fingers.

He sucks on one nipple, then the other, bobbing his head and gazing up at me as I writhe in his lap and cry out obediently. 

“Good girl,” Joe praises me, licking his way up my neck to kiss me before he stands so he can turn and toss me onto the bed on my back.

I gasp as he falls on top of me and his mouth finds my breasts again. “Joe… oh, fuck, Joe, that feels so good…” 

“Tell me what you want me to do to you, Robin,” he grunts.

He’s even harder against me now, so hard I think he might burst his pants. 

“I want to do everything with you, Joe,” I murmur. “Fuck, you’re hot.” I run my hands through his hair. “Much hotter than any younger man would be,” I add sultrily. 

His cock twitches in his pants in response. 

“Let me take care of that hard cock for you, Joe,” I offer. 

He crawls up my body and kisses me, then pushes backwards, standing up. I scoot to the edge of the bed and start to undo his pants as he hastily unbuttons his shirt. 

He gets hung up as his fingers fumble and grunts in frustration. “Fuck it,” he mumbles, then rips his shirt open.

Buttons fly everywhere and I squirm, running my fingers through the dark curls of hair on his belly and chest before tugging his pants down to free his aching cock. 

“Fuck, that was sexy, Joe,” I mutter before teasingly sucking his swollen tip into my mouth. 

His hands tangle in my hair. When I look up at him, he’s watching me with lidded eyes as I work his tip and stroke his shaft before trying to take all of him. 

I make it almost all the way down before pulling back to take a deep, shaky breath. “Joe, you’re enormous,” I moan.

I’m not saying it for the sake of his ego, either. He’s longer than any man I’ve ever been with by several inches, and thicker too. 

He’s clearly pleased with my assessment. “You think you can take all of me, Robin?” he wonders. “Because I want to bury my cock in your sweet little mouth and come down your throat.” 

“Yes, Joe!” I beg. 

He gathers all of my hair into his hands and pushes my mouth down over his cock. He slows when I start to have trouble, letting me adjust until I can go further. 

I moan around him when I finally have all of him in my mouth. He moans along with me. “That’s it, Robin. Fuck, you are such a good girl. The most perfect girl.” 

His hand ruffles my hair gently and then he starts to thrust, holding my head still as he pistons in and out of my mouth. I suck him noisily as he slams into me, his head pushing into my throat each time he goes deep. 

“I’m gonna come, Robin,” Joe pants. 

“Mmhmm!” I moan, encouraging him. 

I almost choke as his impressive length fills my mouth, but I find my footing quickly, starting to swallow as he spurts hot, thick jets of come into my throat. 

“Yes, yes, fuck yes, Robin, yes, yes!” Joe shudders as he finishes, still holding my head down on him as his thrusts slow. “Christ, you’re good at that,” he mumbles. 

He lets my head go and I suck in mouthfuls of air, gasping as he gently pushes me down onto the bed. 

“Let me taste your pussy, Robin,” Joe drawls. 

I nod as he pulls my pants and panties off. 

**Joe**

I don’t waste any time. I want Robin to come for me as soon as possible. She made me come fast, after all. Fuck, I have never had my dick sucked that well before. 

I bury my face in her pussy, sucking and licking at her, rubbing my beard against her thighs. I stroke myself a few times, wanting to get hard again so I can fuck her. She puts her hands in my hair and cries out loudly as I nibble and suck on her clit. 

Her breasts are being pushed together by her arms. They jiggle enticingly as I eat her out, curling my tongue inside her so I can really taste her, using my fingers on her clit while my cock swells in my other hand. 

She screams, “Joe, Joe, Joe, yes, yes, fuck, yes!” and then she’s coming all over my face. 

I groan as I lap her up. “You taste even better than I imagined, Robin,” I growl. 

She whimpers. “You imagined how I would taste, Joe?” she wonders, squirming on the bed as I wipe my face with the sheet and rise up to tease her folds with my once again hard cock.

She whines and spreads her legs wide for me. I grin down at her as she looks up at me. “I’ve been goddamn tangled in my sheets with my hand around my cock imagining how you would taste every night since we met, Robin,” I confess.

She giggles happily, the sound turning into a low keen as I rub myself over her again. “Please, Joe!” 

“Fuck, I love how your whole body is just begging for my cock, Robin.” I run my hands over her thighs, up over the generous curve of her hips and to her breasts, tweaking her nipples teasingly. She wriggles and pants. “You want my big cock in you, sweetheart?” 

“Mmhmm! Yes, please, Joe!” 

I chuckle, enjoying teasing her. I lean down to kiss her, my cock pillowed gently against her folds. “First tell me if you’ve thought of me, Robin. Maybe with your fingers buried in your tight little pussy? Maybe you have a big toy you imagined was me?” 

“None of my toys are that big, Joe,” she admits slyly. “But yes. I imagined that they were all you, giving me just what I needed.” 

“Good girl.”

I press myself inside her, grabbing her hips and entering her slowly, moaning loudly as I feel how tight and wet she is. She squeals as she stretches around me, her fingers tangling in the sheets as she raises her arms over her head. 

I thrust slowly a few more times, pushing her thighs up and holding them in place. “You feel so fucking good, Robin,” I gasp. “Mmm, you’ve been needing a real man to fuck you just right, haven’t you?” 

“I’ve been waiting for that my whole life, Joe,” she answers.

She arches her hips and her pussy clenches around me. “I’m glad you made me jealous, Robin,” I murmur, leaning over her, sinking into her more deeply and taking her face in my hands. “I know I’m a lot older than you, but you’re irresistible.” 

“Joe, fuck, you’re so big!” she groans, her thighs shaking. She opens her eyes and looks up at me. “All that matters is how you feel, Joe. I don’t care how old you are.” She wraps her arms around my neck. “Except when I’m telling you that it makes you sexy as hell.” 

I kiss her deeply and start to thrust faster, drinking in every sound she makes, feeling her big, soft breasts bounce against my chest. I slide my hands down to them, slapping them gently, bending my head to suck on her nipples again. 

“Harder, Joe! Please fuck me harder!” 

I slam my hips against hers, holding myself there as I wrap a hand around her throat and kiss her roughly, biting her lips. I put her feet over my shoulders, yanking her hair into a ponytail and holding her head steady as I rut against her, fucking her as hard as I can. 

I feel like I could fuck her forever. She’s invigorating. She’s young and beautiful and smart and funny and she could have any man that she wanted, but she wants me. 

She even thinks my goddamn gray hair is sexy. 

**Robin**

I grab Joe’s sides and hang on as he fucks me harder than I’ve ever been fucked. He’s exquisite in bed, just like I knew he would be, and fuck, his cock is touching places in me I don’t think have ever been touched. 

“Fuck, Joe, I’m gonna come!” I gasp. “Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes!” 

I wail as I come all over his cock. Joe breathes harshly, slowing his thrusts, smoothing my hair back from my face and kissing me softly. 

“That’s a good girl, Robin,” Joe praises me, sending a shiver up my spine. “I want to feel that so many more times before the night is over.” 

He presses my legs back even further and starts to fuck me again. I cry out as I feel his cock swell inside me. He’s close. 

“Come inside me, Joe!” I beg. “Fill me up, please!” 

He thrusts sharply a few more times and then he roars, his hips stuttering against mine as he releases rope after rope of thick come into me. 

Joe pauses to catch his breath, slicking his sweaty hair back with his hand, his eyes glued between my legs as his come leaks out of me. 

He swallows and licks his lips. “Get me hard again, sweetheart,” he rumbles. 

I run my fingers up and down his arms. “Come here,” I urge him.

He crawls up my chest, groaning softly when his cock brushes against my breasts, biting his lip as I pillow the soft mounds around his half-hard shaft and start to bounce them. He reaches down, squeezing my tits in his hands, his fingers pulling on my sensitive nipples. 

I open my mouth to moan and then his cock is in it. I grab his hips, sucking him eagerly as he yanks on my hair again, making me swallow all of his enormous cock. 

“Fuck, Robin! Fuck, that’s good! My perfect girl is such a good little cocksucker!” 

He pushes me back and leans down to capture my lips for a moment and then his cock is in my mouth again. I suck it even harder this time, encouraged by his praise. 

“Mmm. I need in that gorgeous pussy again, Robin,” Joe growls. 

He shifts onto his side on the bed and pulls me back against him, yanking my thigh up and entering me again. Once he’s deep, he reaches up and grabs both of my breasts, tugging my nipples as he thrusts, bending down over my shoulder to suck one. 

“You have the most beautiful tits I’ve ever seen, sweetheart,” Joe murmurs. “Fuck, I’m gonna fuck you so hard that you can’t walk for the rest of the weekend. And then I’m going to fuck you some more.” 

I squeal as he flips onto his back, pulling me with him. I sprawl out over his body, moaning as I feel his chest hair rub against my back. 

He wraps one arm around my stomach and the other around my breasts and starts to hammer up into me, my ass bouncing against his hips. 

I come all over him again when he pinches my clit, squeaking as he manhandles me onto my hands and knees and enters me from behind, his hands tight against my sides. 

“Let me see that ass bounce, Robin,” Joe commands. 

I dig my fingers into the sheets and hang on as he fucks me as hard as he can. 

**Joe**

I don’t keep her like this for long. She’s beautiful from this angle, of course, but I prefer seeing her face. I slow my pace a bit as I flip her over, nestling her gently into the bed and pushing her thighs up again before I enter her once more. 

Her face is a vision of ecstasy. Her hair is sweaty and sticking to her cheeks, which are flushed pink, and her lips are parted slightly as she moans. 

“You’re amazingly beautiful, Robin,” I compliment her. 

Her hazel eyes sparkle as she looks up at me, her expression almost shy. I lean down and kiss her before she can say anything, thrusting in and out of her slowly and steadily as she runs her fingers through my hair and her breasts bounce softly against my chest. 

I can’t resist leaning down to kiss my way over them. They’re so perfect. I suck gently on her taut nipples, loving how hard they are for me. 

She makes an inarticulate sound that I think she meant to contain words and comes all over my cock again. 

“That’s it, sweetheart,” I murmur soothingly, still thrusting. “I love how fast you come for me,” I tell her. “Mmm, you’re such a sensitive little thing.” 

“Joe…” she whimpers. “Oh, Joe…” 

I smooth her hair back from her face and kiss her tenderly. “Tell me what you want, Robin.” 

“I want to ride you, Joe,” she pleads. 

I chuckle and shift onto my back. “Well, get on, sweetheart.” 

She straddles me and immediately sinks down on my throbbing cock, moaning loudly as she does. She puts her hands on my belly and starts to bounce on me. 

“Fuck, Robin, I’m gonna come in you again right now if you ride me like that,” I grunt. 

She grins and starts to ride me harder. 

I bury my face in her breasts, pulling her hips down onto me as I come again. She comes too, riding me slowly, milking my cock until it’s empty. 

Then she sinks down on my sweaty chest, rubbing her face in the hair there, and runs her fingers through my beard as she sighs contentedly. 

“You’re amazing, Joe.”

She kisses my chest as I wrap the sheets around us and hold her close, still trying to catch my breath. 

“So are you, Robin,” I finally manage to agree. “And not just in bed,” I clarify. 

She giggles happily, folding her arms and resting them on my chest, propping her chin up on them. I tilt my head so I can look at her and smile. “You too,” she admits, raising one of her hands and drawing delicate little circles on my skin with her fingertips. 

She worries her lower lip for a moment and then adds, “So what happens now?”

Her voice is soft and a little vulnerable as I reach up and run my fingers through her hair. “Right now?” I tease. “We order Italian, watch cooking shows, and talk. Then, once my batteries are recharged, I’ll fuck you again. Even better than I did this time.” 

She blushes as I remember she likes cooking shows. Her eyes get wide as I make my promise. 

Then she wiggles just a bit, looking uncertain, and I chuckle. 

“I know you’re not talking about right now, sweetheart.” I sit up and scoop her into my arms, cuddling her close and resting my chin on top of her head. “I suppose I should have mentioned this before taking you to bed, but I don’t do flings anymore, Robin. I’m ready to settle down and start a family.” 

She looks up at me in surprise and I sigh. “I know you’re probably not ready for that, Robin. You’re young and you own your own business. Your life is just starting. But mine has been going for a while, and I just feel like I’m running out of time.” 

She blinks at me in confusion. “I don’t understand,” she admits eventually. “So you just slept with me because you wanted to get it out of your system? Now you’re ready to move on and find someone else?”

She sounds incredibly disappointed. 

I shake my head. “No, sweetheart, that’s not what I meant. I just mean that…” I sigh again. “I know that you said my age makes me sexy, but it makes us too different, doesn’t it?” 

She sits up more and reaches for me, stroking my hair softly. “You’re making a lot of assumptions, Joe,” she points out. “Why don’t you just ask me what I want?” 

I stare at her curiously. “Okay,” I decide. “What do you want, Robin?” 

“I want you, Joe. I’ve wanted you since I started working in the building. I saw you every day; I just never got a chance to talk to you because I was busy with the cart. Do you think I flirt with everyone like that?” It’s her turn to sigh. “Trent said I’m a slut,” she mumbles, clearly hurt by the memory. “Maybe he’s right.” 

“Hey.” I put my fingers under her chin and tip her head up, making her hold my gaze. “First of all, Trent’s an asshole. You know that. You can’t trust anything he says. Second of all, you’re not a slut, Robin. There’s no such thing. You’re an adult woman who made her own sexual choices. That’s all. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” 

She swallows and casts her eyes to the side. “I went home and had raunchy unprotected sex with a man I’ve never even really been on a date with,” she protests softly. “How can you say I’m not a…?” 

She trails off as I put my hand over her mouth. “And I took home and had raunchy sex with a woman I’ve never even really been on a date with, if you’re going to put it that way,” I counter. I’m disturbed that she’s acting this way suddenly. “Where is this coming from, Robin?” I wonder. “You were so confident before.” 

I move my hand so she can reply. 

“That was just an act, Joe,” she confesses. “Every man I’ve ever slept with has only slept with me because they wanted to know what it was like to be with a curvy woman, or because I have big tits, or because they couldn’t find anything else. I knew, and it hurt, but I never minded because I wanted to get off and I didn’t care about them. I didn’t want them. But I want you. And I thought you wanted me too. You’ve stopped by the cart to talk to me every single day since we met. We’ve gone to lunch together. You’ve been so sweet and charming, and I just thought that maybe we could be… more.” She hangs her head. “But that was stupid. You were just being nice. I shouldn’t confuse that for romantic interest.” 

She looks horribly embarrassed as she starts to cry softly. 

I pull her closer, kissing her forehead and rocking her back and forth. “Shh, Robin. Shh. It’s okay. It’s okay, sweetheart.”

I try to compose myself so that I can say exactly what I mean. 

“Robin,” I start, “I do want you. I wouldn’t have brought you home if I didn’t. And yes, I love your body, but not because it’s a particular type. I love it because it’s yours. I’ve been thinking about you ever since we started talking, and not just sexually. You’re smart and sweet and funny. It cheers me up every time you smile. You’re a wonderful baker, and a hard worker. And yes, you were absolutely fantastic in bed. Best sex I’ve ever had, sweetheart. Because you cared about my pleasure, and weren’t afraid to tell me what pleased you. You were so responsive. I loved it.” 

I take a breath before I continue. The big part is next. 

“I didn’t invite you home with me just to get you out of my system, Robin,” I reveal. “I would love to be with you. I want to take care of you in every possible way. I just…” I run a hand through my hair. I didn’t think it would be so hard to admit this to her. “Honey, I just don’t want you to wake up one morning twenty years from now and think to yourself that you could have had someone your age. Someone who you’re more compatible with.” My voice falls to a whisper. “Someone who will still be there to take care of you when you’re older too. Sex is one thing. I just don’t know how to ask you to stick around for the rest of my life when I won’t be there for the rest of yours.” 

She looks up at me. Her eyes are filled with tears. I slowly wipe them away as she sniffles before she can speak. 

“What do you think is worse, Joe? The possibility of losing someone or pushing them away so you never have them at all?” She shakes her head. “I don’t care how old you are, or about what might happen in the future. No one can predict that. What I know, though, is that if I walked away and tried to find someone else, I’d always wonder what we could have had. Because we are compatible, Joe. And the things that make us different just mean our relationship will be more interesting. I’d hate to give up on these feelings just because of age.” 

I stay silent as I process her words. She’s right, I realize. No matter who I ended up with, I’d always be chasing her in my mind. Wondering where she was, what she was doing, if she was happy. 

Wondering if I could have made her happier. 

She sniffles again when I don’t say anything. “Sorry to get all maudlin on you after the great sex,” she apologizes sheepishly. “It’s the best I’ve ever had too.” 

She snuggles against me uncertainly and waits for me to respond. She’s tense, and I know she’s scared. 

So I bend my lips to hers and say what I should have said in the first place. 

“Stay with me, Robin? I love you.” 

“Yes, Joe,” she replies. “I love you too.”


End file.
